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David Michael Weiss was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1970 and was raised in the quaint community of Denison, Iowa. At a very young age David was interested in art and nature. He spent a lot of his time fishing and sketching on his Grandma's farm. His parents were both biology professors and they helped groom his appreciation of the natural world. They would spend parts of their summers exploring the coastlines of America. These early experiences helped develop David's love for the marine life that would become his current works. His art focus through high school was on illustration and commercial design. After high school he attended Metro College in Omaha for graphic art. Later he attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln to study advertising. David started his own commercial design business in 1992. His clients came to include some of the top companies in America such as McDonalds, Goodyear, Hy-Vee, Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

Always weighing on David's heart was a passion to become a fine artist. It was a chance encounter with a photojournalist that changed the course of David's life. A car was pulled over on the side of the interstate with a young man trying to wave down traffic. David played the role of the good Samaritan and pulled over. Little did he know he would start in motion a course of events that would have him in the heart of the Baltic conflict only a few weeks later. The person David helped was a photojournalist by the name of Joe Mixan. Joe's car was out of gas and he and his passengers were in search of a ride. David and Joe developed a friendship and soon they were off to war-torn Croatia. David witnessed the horrors of war and also the kindness of people in the midst of conflict. David said, "I came away with a new perspective on life and my faith. You never really understand how great America is until you see people truly struggle. You go into areas that were ethnically cleansed and your soul feels true sorrow. Yet in all of that there were people totally focused on helping others while risking their own lives. I know they had questions, but their faith never wavered." While traveling to the Baltic David was able to stop in Rome and see the works of the old masters. This trip was the catalyst for David to make the decision to become a fine artist.

After returning home to the states David made a vow to pursue a strong regimen of art workshops to teach him oil painting. At one of these workshops he met master oil painter Christine Verner. Christine lay the foundation of color and design that aided David in developing his distinctive style. Over a period of six years he spent part of his year training with Christine while still running his design business. Fortunately, David also had the opportunity to travel back to Europe two more times, each time learning more about the old masters.

David has been blessed with a great wife, Tracy, two wonderful step children, Grant and Chelsie, and their french bulldog, Romy. They have provided encouragement along with his family as he pursues his dreams. His extended family has moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia and Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia giving David the perfect opportunity to paint the marine, landscape, and wildlife art that makes him so happy. He also spends time in Yellowstone and the Tetons searching for intimate settings that inspire him. While David is still grounded in the heartland, these different destinations give him a broad range of subject matter. "I love the prairie, the mountains, and the sea. I try to find beauty in all of God's and man's creations and to express that on the canvas. My paintings are but simple moments in time. From the row boat to a single pelican, I want people to find a certain sense of peace when they view my works."

Please visit our online store again soon or if in the Hampton Roads (Tidewater) coastal region of Virginia, visit our marine gallery in historic Olde Towne Portsmouth. We're just a short distance from Virginia Beach, Colonial Williamsburg and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and just across the river from downtown Norfolk. By boat, we're located at mile marker "0" of the Atlantic Intra-coastal Waterway!

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